Teenager committed to sport of rodeo
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- Published on Friday, May 1, 2015
Photo by Darrell Nesbitt
By Darrell Nesbitt
Crossroads This Week
Looking for a little more action than a small town fair provided, and seeing how much fun fellow Neepawa Area Collegiate students were having prompted an Arden teenager to become a high school rodeo athlete. The quest to be as good as a competitor that circumstances allowed, Holly Madsen’s goals in the horsemanship world all began when she got her first pony as a four-year-old child.
Involved with the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association (MHSRA) for five years now, Madsen is in the high school division. The 17-year-old who lives on farm near Arden said that by far her favourite event is breakaway roping, as it is usually the event she competes the best in and it involves a little more skill than riding on its own. She also competes in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying and team roping.
“As a member of the MHSRA I have gained many friends. I have also received awards and some scholarships from winning different events,” stated Madsen. “Probably the biggest highlights thus far is when I won my first buckle and qualified for the finals from a Canadian and National status.”
The grade 11 student has come to learn that being involved in rodeo you are taught responsibility and patience, as members are responsible for entering the rodeo on time, caring for one’s horse(s) and making sure you have everything you need in order to compete.
“Myself, as a member, learns patience when I have a few weekends of bad luck,” stated Madsen. “Nobody can win all the time but patience and perseverance will pay off for you in the end.”
Friends on the trail are one thing, however, having very supportive parents is another.
“My parents, Tom and Alanna Madsen, are so supportive of my interest in rodeo. Always giving up their free time to haul me to all the rodeos and pay for them, videoing my runs time and time again and always there to give me a pat on the back,” shared Madsen. “Mom has always had a love for horses that she passed on to me, and she also takes care of getting the sponsorship for the MHSRA.”
With barrel racer, Lindsay Sears from Nanton, AB penciled in as her favorite rodeo competitor, Madsen had the opportunity to visit Sears’ hometown in 2014 while competing in the Canadian High School Finals Rodeo and personally meeting the professional barrel racer. She also competed at the Canadians three years ago when Manitoba served as the host and the great rodeo action was unleashed in Virden.
